The American Public Transportation Association (APTA) praised the U.S. Senate on Saturday for its passage of the American Recovery and Rescue Act – the COVID-19 stimulus bill based on President Joe Biden’s American Rescue Plan.
The bill, passed by the U.S. House of Representatives in late February, includes more than $30 billion in emergency funding for public transit agencies.
“APTA applauds the leadership and vision of Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-NY), Senator Richard J. Durbin (D-IL), Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Chair Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Committee on Appropriations Chair Patrick J. Leahy (D-VT), and THUD Appropriations Subcommittee Chair Brian Schatz (D-HI) in crafting this legislation,” said APTA President and CEO Paul P. Skoutelas in a statement. “We greatly appreciate that the bill includes $30.5 billion of emergency transit funding and distributes these funds in a manner that ensures that all public transit agencies can continue to be a lifeline for our essential workers while also ensuring Americans can get to vaccine distribution sites, and communities can rebuild from the economic devastation caused by the pandemic.”
Public transit ridership declined during the COVID-19 due to stay-at-home orders and the move for some to work from home. According to the National Transit Database, monthly transit ridership dropped 81.3 percent in April 2020 to only 156.6 million rides, compared to 835.2 million rides in April 2019.
As stay-at-home orders were lifted, ridership has increased but is still down compared to previous years. The loss of riders has resulted in decreased revenue for transit agencies. Despite an infusion of $25 billion in emergency funding in the CARES Act and another $14 billion in emergency funding in the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act in 2021, research firm EBP US estimates public transit agencies will still face a $39.3 billion revenue shortfall through the end of 2023.